


Like We're All Gonna Make It

by KelliDiane



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Gen, I'm Sorry, OT4 Friendship, OT5 Friendship, all relationships are friendships, was listening to AM and one line kept jumping out at me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2015-11-18
Packaged: 2018-05-02 07:44:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5240273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KelliDiane/pseuds/KelliDiane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We’ll all step up now though,” Liam says as he comes up to greet Eleanor. He kisses her cheek softly and offers her his arm. “Louis would be so happy you came. He always said you looked best in black.”</p>
<p>“Wish we were meeting up for a different reason though- like a wedding or something happier.” Eleanor whispers as she allows Liam to guide her to a seat up front by Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like We're All Gonna Make It

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't know where this came from. I'm sorry! The chorus just stuck with me and I got really sad at the one line. This is me writing my feelings.

Niall wipes at his eyes as greets another guest at the doors of the church. “Thank you for coming. It means so much to us and he would be so happy you were here.”

Eleanor laughs sadly as she hugs the blond. “Just because he and I didn’t work doesn’t mean I don’t love him. He was my life for nearly five years. He skipped out of tour to come watch me graduate.” She holds him tightly as she thinks over the memories they had together. “How’s Briana and little Louis doing? Are they holding up okay?”

“Briana is devastated. She… She hasn’t really slept since the news broke. Louis is too young to really understand what’s going on. He’s cried a lot since then, but I think he’s just looking for Louis to come out of his bedroom and hold him again.” Niall says as he looks to the floor.

“We’ll all step up now though,” Liam says as he comes up to greet Eleanor. He kisses her cheek softly and offers her his arm. “Louis would be so happy you came. He always said you looked best in black.”

“Wish we were meeting up for a different reason though- like a wedding or something happier.” Eleanor whispers as she allows Liam to guide her to a seat up front by Harry.

Briana is there, eyes rimmed red and hair a mess, but she looks as put together as Eleanor feels. The brunet can’t help but go up to her and wrap her in a hug, Louis staring up at her as he holds onto the chair to keep his balance. “Briana, I’m so sorry.”

With that, the young mother starts to cry unabashedly. “I just wish he wasn’t so stupid. He knows that they were going to follow him no matter what. Why did he think it was a good idea to put himself in danger like that?”

Harry stands and rubs at Briana’s back and give Eleanor a sympathetic smile. “It’s going to be okay. Louis loves you very much and he wouldn’t want you to be like this. Little Louis has three great uncles that are going to step up and love him like he’s their own. Don’t worry. He wouldn’t you to cry over him.”

Alberto comes to the podium and clears his throat. “We’re going to be starting the ceremony soon so if you all could find your seats, we will start the ceremony.”  
The room is quiet with the swishing movement of dresses and black trousers rubbing against each as everyone moves to their seats. The location had been kept under wraps as much as possible so fans and the paparazzi couldn’t ruin this for the small handful of people who had been invited.

Once everyone has taken their seats, Zayn makes his way to the front of the room. He’s shaking as he thinks about the fact that his friend is lying in the casket just a few feet away from him and it scares him as he thinks about how quickly someone could be gone. He takes a deep breath as he looks over the gathered friends and family. “We’re here to remember the life of Louis William Tomlinson: loving son, phenomenal brother, generous father, and loyal friend. I think it’s fair to say that Louis had an impact on just about everyone he met. I will never forget meeting him for the first time six years ago. He just gave me this look that was a mix of confusion and anticipation and all he said to me was, ‘well, mate, you’ve got my attention. Now what are you going to do with it?’”

There was a bit of laughter before Zayn continued. “We’ve asked a few of his friends and family members to say a few words about Louis before Louis says goodbye in his own way. So… Harry?”

Harry stands up and makes his way to the front, pulling Zayn into a hug. He holds the darker male for a few moments before pulling away and wiping at his eyes. He waits until Zayn is seated before starting his speech. “Louis William Tomlinson was my best friend. We were flatmates for a bit and nothing makes two people closer than sharing a flat and having to wash each other’s dirty boxers. Watching Louis grow throughout the years into the man he was is an experience I wish everyone got to see. When he met on X Factor, he was shy and not all that confident in himself, but he hid it so well. Everyone thought he was the coolest, funniest, brightest person ever, but at home he would just wrap himself in blankets and drink his tea- and, Louis, since you can’t argue with me, no sugar in your tea is the grossest thing you’ve ever done. I remember watching him grow more and more confident and willing to stand up for the four of us. I asked him how he could stand up to all those people and still feel like he was in the right. His answer has stuck with me to this day. He said to me, ‘Harry, if I don’t stand up for us we’ll all be dead by the time we’re twenty-five.’ Ironically, he died before he could reach twenty-five, but I know he’ll live on for a long time in our hearts and in the albums we put out. Everytime I miss him, I just have to pop in one of our movies or watch a music video we did and I’ll be smiling as I remember all those stupid moments that happened when the cameras weren’t rolling or even when they were rolling and he just didn’t care. He leaves behind a son and I plan on showing Louis exactly what his dad as like. I won’t let him forget how amazing his dad was.”

There’s a silence over the gathered crowd as Harry finishes and moves back to his seat. He hugs Briana and picks up Louis to hold the boy in his lap as Niall heads to the front. He grabs a guitar and a stool as he moves to his place in the front of the crowd. “I’m not very good at putting what I want to say together. I tried a hundred times to try and write a proper little speech, but it didn’t work. Louis always told me to take to the guitar when I didn’t know what to say. So that’s what I did. I love you, Louis.”

He situates himself on the stool and plucks a few notes on the guitar to ensure it was in tune before gently strumming the opening chords of the song. He had tried to write his own song, but none of his words seemed adequate so he had turned to his extensive music collection until one song jumped out at him. He realises now as he thinks about when he heard the news that this song is the first one he listened to after the phone call.

_“Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven? I must be strong and carry on, 'cause I know I don't belong here in heaven. Would you hold my hand if I saw you in heaven? Would you help me stand if I saw you in heaven? I'll find my way through night and day, 'cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven.”_ Niall’s voice is quiet and shaky as he wills himself to get through the chords and lyrics. It’s such a sad song that truly gets his grief across and he can’t believe he didn’t think of his song immediately. _“Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees. Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please. Beyond the door, there's peace I'm sure, and I know there'll be no more tears in heaven. Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven? I must be strong and carry on, 'cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.”_

Niall finishes the song as his voice falters, the last word coming out strained as he looks to the closed casket by his side. A picture of Louis is surrounded by a wreath and his smiling face looks almost proud as Niall slips of the stool and moves everything back off to the side so the next person can come and talk.

Johannah wipes at her eyes as she stands and quickly embraces Niall before he can sit down. “Thank you,” she whispers into his ear as a fresh bout of tears stream down her face. She sniffles as she tries to collect herself and makes her way up to the podium. “Thank you, boys, for always being a part of my family and wanting the best for Louis.

“My son wasn’t always the smartest of boys. He would still be here if he made good decisions. My little boy tried his hardest with everything he ever tried to do. Even when he was four years old and kicking a football around in the park he would get angry when it didn’t go the way he wanted. Watching him grow up and watching him gain bit parts in school musicals and on television shows made me so proud, especially when he would light up at the news that he made it. We always talk about how hard it was when he went away t X Factor, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. He was finally doing something he loved and he was damn proud of it. I remembered he phoned me the night before the final and told me that no matter what happened the next day he wasn’t leaving the boys because he loved them and couldn’t moving on without them.” She pauses and looks over at the closed casket before letting the tears fall. “I’m sure we all know by now that Louis lost his life running from the paparazzi- he shouldn’t have been speeding, but still. When I got the call that he had been pronounced dead at the scene, I broke down. I… I don’t know what I’m going to do without my little Lou, but I love him and he always made me proud.”

Liam quickly stands and hurries to the front to wrap Johannah up in his arms as she sobs into his shoulder. He rubs at her back softly wanting to provide a source of comfort to her. He’s so torn up by the whole thing. He remembers getting the call and immediately driving to Louis’ flat to make sure Briana was okay.It’s all a rush of memories and water fights and nipple twists and general fun and games when he thinks about Louis.

Once Johannah has collected herself and taken her seat, Liam finds himself behind the podium. “Louis… Louis was my best friend. I know that the four- five of us- said that we were all best mates and the friendship was never forced, and that’s true, but sometimes it came more naturally with certain people. Louis brought out the best and worst in me and I will never be able to thank him for that. Most people always reflect on the grief, but I think Tommo would want us laughing and having a grand old time today. I know he wouldn’t want us here crying- hell, he’d be rolling his eyes at us and calling us saps- but I think taking a few moments to grieve is the right thing to do After today though, we need to look forward to the future and remember that Tommo always wanted us to be a bit mischievous. I hope that little Lou has that same spark of trouble as his dad. If he does, I’ll be right there to encourage it. I’ll teach him how to play football and to drive a car and how to live life to the fullest. I know that’s what Tommo was looking forward to the most.” He turns to the casket and smile softly. “I’ll see you later, mate.”

It’s quiet as Liam takes his seat and Zayn gets back up to continue on with short memorial service. Zayn takes a deep breath as he wipes at his eyes and tries his best to smile out at the collection of friends and family. “I said earlier that Louis wanted to say goodbye in his own way. We, as a band, decided that Louis liked nothing more than talking through music so we put together this short video. It’s just pictures of Lou throughout his life and such, but the song holds a special place for the band.”

With that, a projector starts up and a clip of Louis talking about never being able to say thank you enough plays. It quickly fades out to pictures of him as a baby as the soft music begins to play.

_“Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? All my favourite conversations always made in the A.M. Feels like this could be forever tonight; break these clocks, forget about time. There could be a World War 3 goin' on outside. You and me were raised in the same part of town; got these scars on the same ground. Remember how we used to kick around just wasting time?”_

The pictures switch as they show Louis growing up. There’s pictures everyone knows- one of him stretching for field day, one of him sitting with all his grandparents, some of him with Stan- and then there’s ones that not even the boys have seen- pictures of him and Hannah, him holding his mom close and kissing her close, pictures of him looking stressed as the twins sat on his lap. Then there’s the ones from secondary where he’s doing theatre and even a few from his stint in University. It switches to one of him standing in line at X Factor with that ridiculously shaggy haircut holding up his number.

_“Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? All my favourite conversations always made in the A.M. Cause we don't know what we're saying; we're just swimming round in our glasses and talking out of our asses like we're all gonna make it. Feels like this could be forever right now. Don't wanna sleep cause we're dreaming out loud, trying to behave but you know that we never learned how. You and me were raised in the same part of town; got these scars on the same ground. Remember how we used to kick around just wasting time?”_

The pictures come in quick succession at that point. Pictures of Louis in fronts of thousands of people, on the tour bus, writing sessions, playing around with the other boys. Pictures of Eleanor and Bruce, him sleeping on planes and buses, him fighting with Alberto and Paddy, him smoking on the couch at someone’s house, him getting tattoos. Pictures of him with his mom, with Lottie and Fizzy, with the twins, with the other twins, with Ernest and helping him learn to walk, with Doris and him tickling her mercilessly. Pictures of him in suits, sweats, football jerseys, jumpers, jackets. Pictures of him that people could laugh, cry, and smile fondly at as they brought about memories. Pictures of him with Pele, Robbie Williams, Liam, Harry, Niall, Zayn, Little Mix, Cristiano Ronaldo.

_“Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? All my favourite conversations always made in the A.M. Cause we don't know what we're saying; we're just swimming round in our glasses and talking out of our asses like we're all gonna make it. You know I'm always coming back to this place, you know. And I'll say you know I'm always gonna look for your face, you know.”_

The last few pictures are of Louis holding his son and looking at the small bundle like it’s the only thing in the world that matters. There’s a photo of Briana and Louis cuddled up together with little Louis between them and they both only have eyes for their son. The final photo was one that Liam insisted be out in the slide show. It’s one that had been taken only hours before Louis car accident. It was Louis holding his son, both caught in mid laugh as the camera snapped the picture. It was the very essence of Louis to Liam and that was how the video ended.

_“Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? All my favourite conversations always made in the A.M. Cause we don't know what we're saying; we're just swimming round in our glasses and talking out of our asses like we're all gonna make it. Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? You know I'm always coming back to this place. Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? You know. Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? You know I'm always gonna look for your face. Won't you stay 'til the A.M.?”_

Everyone was crying at this point. Briana and Eleanor were sobbing into each other’s shoulders and the boys were just barely hanging on at this point. They knew the ceremony was drawing to a close and they still had one more song to dedicate to their fallen band member. They stood and motioned for Zayn to join them at the front.

“Like I said earlier,” Niall says as he grabs his guitar once more, “Lou would rather express things through music. This song has so much meaning for the five of us and we couldn’t think of a more appropriate song to sing as a final farewell to you, Louis. We’ll miss you and we hope you know we’ll never let you down. Boys?”

They all nodded as Niall started strumming the opening chords to _Torn_.

This was the end.


End file.
